CLUELESS ABOUT KOKEK

(As promised, this blog henceforth will only deal with things on or about Terengganu. Other ramblings will be on Pokku's Post.)

Have you ever been lullabied by "Ayun Buai Kokek"? If you do not have a Terengganu mother, chances are very slim indeed. Even if your mother is from Terengganu, she might not be of the right age to know the song. I for one could not remember when I was last in a buai (or ndo, if you are in the Kelantanese speaking part of Terengganu). Go here to listen to the song sung by Habsah Jusoh. Habsah's forte is singing Lagu Melayu Asli, even modern asli song like Selasih Ku Sayang.

The lyric goes like this:

Ayong buai kokek, kokek ulu golok
hok dia lokek, hok orang dia nok
(repeat 2x)

timang tinggi tinggi, tinggi pucuk celagi,
bangung pagi-pagi, teruh pegi mengaji.

Ayong buai kokek, kokek ulu golok
hok dia lokek, hok orang dia nok
(repeat 2x)

timang tinggi-tinggi sampai cucur atap
belum tumbuh gigi pandai baca kitab

Ayong buai kokek, kokek ulu golok
hok dia lokek, hok orang dia nok
(repeat 2x)

**
timang tinggi-tinggi sampai pucuk pinang
bila pandai ngaji hidup jadi senang

Ayong buai kokek, kokek ulu golok
hok dia lokek, hok orang dia nok
(repeat 2x)

timang tinggi-tinggi, sampai pucuk sena
bila besor nanti, jadi orang berguna

Ayong buai kokek, kokek ulu golok
hok dia lokek, hok orang dia nok
(repeat 2x)

The lullaby is what Terengganu mothers of yesteryears sang to their babies. The mothers were full of hope while the babies might be full of nestum, pisang lecek or whatever they feed babies with those days. The chorus might be directed to some selfish relatives or neighbours. Politicians can use it at the next ceramoh.

Now, what in tarnation is kokek?
I can recall kokek being used to describe the noise coming out of the Terengganu kitchen when crockeries are moved. That does not fit into the lyric
kokek ulu golok
unless the ulu is as loose as my remaining tooth. You know what ulu is of course. It is an economical way of saying hulu or citing an example of the Cockney influence in Terengganu. Ulu means head, top part or upriver. Thus ulu golok is the handle of the Terengganu machete as opposed to the lower or business end of the golok. If there are medical doctors among you, please tell me what is the medical term for ulu ati.

Now, for the Cockney influence or rather, similarity:
Cockneys, like people in Terengganu, have the propensity to drop the "h" in a lot of words. In Terengganu, hari becomes ari, hutang (and hutan) becomes utang. Hidung becomes idong and many more. Just like the Cockney lady in this story:

It was a blustery and windy day in one part of London. One tourist was embarassed on behalf of the lady whose skirt was lifted high up by the wind.
Tourist: Airy isn't?
Lady: Eh? Wot do you expect? Bald?

Now go back to work.

Labels: Ayun Buai Kokek, Cockney, Habsah Jusoh